Imhotep's Key

by JoeB1451

(Part 2 of ROS)(BuffyRainbow SixThe Mummy) Anck-su-namun is back and she has discovered that the Key to bringing back her dead love is living in Sunnydale.

7. Chapter 6

Imhotep's Key Chapter 6

By Joseph Black

Disclaimer:  Red Storm and Tom Clancy own Rainbow and Characters.  Joss Whedon owns Buffy and Characters.  If you recognize any other character they belong to their respective owners.  Original characters belong to me.  I make no profit off the following except to have a little fun.

Spoilers: Buffy to present.  Rainbow to Bear and the Dragon.

Authors note 1:  I am adjusting the Buffy time line slightly, this fic starts just after "Never Leave Me", moving things back about a month.

Authors note 2: I can't seem to get Fanfic to except my special formatting.  So anytime you see this '{*} anything inside is in a foreign language.  And if you see this [*] it's some ones thoughts.

Authors note 3:  This is a continuation of the story started in 'Rainbow Over Sunnydale'.  It would be helpful to read that fic first.

Notes to Reviewers:

Spidy-phd: Thanks for the review.  As often as I'm able.

ED:  Yes I do have plans for Jack to visit Sunnydale.  It's far in the future though.

Paladin Steelbreaker:  Mary Diggs has always seem to me to be the type of person who knows what he doesn't know.  So I think there is little danger of him trying to wrest command from Buffy.

Dorothy:  Truthfully I pulled the date for the founding of the club out of my hat.  That decided who was going to be on the throne.  I figured that The Council probably tried to place their main headquarters in the capitol of the most powerful country at the time.  Also with England's nautical traditions that would have also played into with how much easier it would have made it to move The Slayer around. I really don't know that much about them.  When I get the chance I'll have to do some more research.

John:  Right now everything is being held pretty close to the chest.  So no he doesn't.  If things get tenser he will be told.

Harry:  Faith will be here in do time.  If I just break her out like they did in the series, given how close they are working with the government, it would lead to unnecessary complications.  She'll be showing up again before she arrives in Sunnydale.

Majin Gojira:  For my fic I'm going to go with the time line I made up for The Initiative.  I sort of need that for what I'm doing to work.  Also I really don't think from watching how the group operated in Sunnydale that they had been at that for forty years.  A) The Troopers were too young.  They should have had some old hand NCOs.  B) They made too many basic mistakes like no crosses or holy water.  Even if they hadn't been officially issued you should have figured that someone would be carrying them.  As far as Wanderverse goes Steven was the first person to ask me if he could post ROS on his site.  I told him at the time that I wasn't really a fan of the stuff he had on his site.  I've never been a huge Highlander fan, and immortal Slayers really do nothing for me.  I think they take a lot of the suspense out of a fight.  I thought what they worked out for having the game in their universe was pretty clever though.  So as long as he wants it, I'll keep sending it.

JenC27: I always thought that Joss underused religion on both shows.  You would have to think that having first hand experience with the stuff that they have had experience with would generate some kind of response.

Krismarief:  Thanks.

warren: I suppose that's one way to look at what he did.

Thanks to all that reviewed.  Constructive criticisms always welcomed.  Flames cheerfully ignored.

The Maitre'-d led the party to their table, and then held out the chair for Libby as the two men seated themselves.  Holtzman had been surprised when Libby had chosen the churiascaria to eat at.  While he enjoyed the restaurant with its emphasis on meat dishes, Libby, while no vegetarian, ate meat in moderation.  A churiascaria was basically a buffet, but instead of having steam tables to get your food from waiters brought the various types of meat around to your table on spits.  There was a center table that held the salads and cold dishes, as well as the soups that they had for today.  Normally Holtzman enjoyed The Malibu Grill, but tonight he wanted to get at his dinner guest.  Unfortunately with the waiters coming around constantly to see if you were interested in the meat they were carrying it was impossible to carry on a confidential conversation.  Holtzman suddenly realized that must be why Libby picked this restaurant to meet de la Hoya.  She must have known that he liked to keep business till after dinner, so she had made it so her husband had to do that.  There were advantages and disadvantages to being married.  Realizing he would have to wait, Holtzman decided to enjoy the meal and told the waiter he would have a glass of merlot to start his meal.  It would be the only one he allowed himself tonight.

The dinner was good as always.  Libby contented herself with stuff from the cold table till they brought around a cart with a Chilean Sea Bass on it and had that as her meat portion.  De la Hoya favored beef for his meat, while Holtzman had lamb and sausage.  During dinner the conversation was light.  Bob found Pedro to be a funny and charming dinner companion.  He explained that he was a cultural attaché at the embassy and that he enjoyed the job.  Personally Libby was pretty sure that he was associated with Mexican intelligence, she wasn't sure if it was their Civilian or Military Agencies.  Holtzman found in talking with him she was probably right.  Considering the photo, Holtzman figured he must be military.  Finally with dinner over and the trio enjoying their deserts.  Holtzman had chosen a Crème' Brulee', Libby liked their rice pudding so contented herself with one, and de la Hoya had chosen a flan.  The coffee was excellent so they enjoyed a cup till finally de la Hoya put his cup down and started to reach into his coat pocket.  He stopped when he remembered that the restaurant was non-smoking and put the cigar back.  Holtzman could sympathize, he had quit a couple of years ago, but after a good meal he still got the urge for a good cigar to finish it off.  However the week of being banished to the couch by his wife till the stink left his skin wasn't worth it.

"So Senor Holtzman, while I would never turn down an invitation to having dinner with your charming wife. I must think that there was some ulterior motive to get me to this wonderful restaurant,"

Holtzman nodded, "I'm working on a story.  A movie producer named Eric Shallot disappeared last year while working on a script.  It was going to be a movie about a village in Mexico that was wiped out by rival drug gangs, and about the lone survivor."

"Aldea de Santa Maria," de la Hoya said quietly.  Making sure the reporter knew the name.

"Yes," Holtzman agreed.

"I'm afraid I know little about the event beyond what I read in the newspaper. It was a terrible thing. Three hundred people were slaughtered.  The whole village, save for Ms. Weber were killed."

"That's too bad.  I was hopping you could tell me what involvement the US Government had in the event," Holtzman asked, baiting the hook.

De la Hoya looked surprised, "I'm afraid your source must be mistaken.  While it was originally a police matter, the nature of drug smugglers was such that it was necessary to send the Army in to deal with them.  But it was the Mexican Army, not the American," Pedro told the two reporters.

"That's interesting," Holtzman said as he pulled two photos out his jacket pocket.  He passed them over to Pedro.

To his credit, and confirming to Holtzman that he was some kind of intelligence agent, his expression did not change at all.  He glanced at both of the pictures and then slid them back to Holtzman.  "What is it you want to know?"

"What happened, how was the US involved, and was it a mistake on your part that got Aldea de Santa Maria wiped out?"

Pedro looked at him when he said the last and Holtzman saw some real pain in his eyes, and also a fair amount of anger in them.  "No Senor Holtzman, it was no mistake on our part that destroyed that village'" he said tightly,  "That mistake was made by the drug lord who forgot, sometimes you need to be careful of the weapons you use, because they can effect a wider area than you originally intend.  As for the rest, I would prefer to hold that conversation elsewhere.  I have a good memory of this meal and I don't want to spoil it.  De la Hoya wrote an address out on a piece of paper that he pulled out of an inside coat pocket and handed it to Holtzman, "I will meet you there and we will discuss this.  I must insist on a quid quo pro from you, this will be an exchange of information, not an interrogation."

Holtzman agreed to this and started to get up.  Pedro held up his hand, "I must do this so my conscience is at peace.  I strongly advise you and your wife to go home and forget this story.  There is nothing at its end but blood and death, and Libby is too young to be a widow."

Libby took a step back, and Holtzman looked at the other man sharply, "Did you just threaten me?"

De la Hoya shook his head, "No Senor Holtzman I did not. I just do not wish your blood on my hands.  I will not harm you, nor will my government.  I doubt that the US government would either.  But you will be treading in Columbus's footsteps and unless you have your eyes open and are prepared for what you will find you will follow this person that you are doing this story on into oblivion.  I will wait at the club for forty-five minutes. If you don't appear then I will say a quiet prayer of thanks and leave.  If you come, I will tell you a story."  So saying he turned and walked out.  Holtzman settled the bill and the tip, and then they followed him out.

Sunnydale Police Station
256 Main St.
Sunnydale CA
28Oct2002
1645 hrs  

Lieutenant Jonathan O'Connell looked up at the face of the police station; you could barely see where the masons had replaced the bricks that had been torn out last May.  He hoped that Stew had kept their number, he had a bad feeling it might be needed. 

He walked into the foyer of the station and was immediately greeted with, "Hey L.T.! The chief wants to talk to you!" From the desk sergeant.

"Thanks Tom," He said back as he headed up the steps.  Sheila the chief's secretary just waived him thru.

Stewart Donaldson, The Chief of the Sunnydale PD, sat behind his desk reading reports.  He glanced up and waived O'Connell to a chair, which O'Connell plopped down in.  He passed O'Connell an envelope. Jonathan glanced at the postmark and saw that it was from Vatican City in Rome.  Pulling the letter out he was unsurprised when it turned out to be a letter of resignation by Tom Gritner their staff psychologist.  Tom had been originally hired because he had done a Masters thesis that suggested that people who claimed that the supernatural was real might not be as crazy as normally believed.  They had decided to let him discover for himself that he was right.  Unfortunately the day after he had come to O'Connell for confirmation of what went on in Sunnydale he had put in for a leave of absence.  He had left town the same day and they had gotten a letter from Rome a week later, stating that he was studying at the Vatican and needed a little more time.  That had been six months ago, looked like he would be studying there permanently.

Chief Donaldson passed O'Connell a file over.  He took it from The Chief and glanced inside, it was empty.  "That's the file where we keep resumes of people who are interested in become staff psychologists.  I don't think I have to remind you then that if we lose Ms. Fraser, we loose federal funding.  If that happens a lot of your toys are going to have to go back, including those additions to our armory that Mendi brought in Friday."

O'Connell winced, "With what seems to be coming that might not be the best idea Chief.  We're going to need that firepower."

"It won't matter what kind of firepower we have Jon, if we lose federal funding we won't have anyone to use it," Stew replied leaning back into his chair, resting his head on the back of it and closing his eyes.  "Is Rachel any closer to figuring out what actually goes on around here?"

O'Connell leaned forward in his chair and shook his head, "I haven't talked to her in a while, but from what I hear she's still looking at the casualty rate around here as a manifestation of some kind of chemical poisoning.  I think she just spotted the dip in the statistics when The Slayer first came to town and is looking around to see if a business went under, or changed their manufacturing style around that time.  I think she believes that it's some kind of interaction of several chemicals that's causing the death rates."

"Think about how you're going to react if she does find out.  Your approach with Tom was less than successful."

O'Connell actually looked hurt, "We picked the guy because we thought he could take the truth.  With the guff he took because of his paper you'd figure he would be happy to be vindicated.  How was I to know he would run off to the Hallowest ground he could find?"

"I'm not blaming you, just pointing out that you need to come up with a better way to do it than, 'Yeah your right, vampires and demons are real.  So, you up for pizza?"

O'Connell winced, deciding to change the subject he said, "Got a call from Dave Whitman today." Stew looked up interested.  "Riley Finn is back in town and it looks like he may be staying awhile." 

"What makes you say that?"  Stew asked darkly.

"He and Xander Harris took that warehouse Dave had on Front St, off of his hands Saturday."

"Any chance they're just going into business with each other?"

"Unless you think an ex-soldier and a construction foreman can come up with a million dollar unsecured loan," O'Connell replied.

"Unsecured?"

"They transferred the money directly from an account.  No mortgage at all."

"Damn," Stew said quietly,  "Oh well, at least this time we won't be guessing where their HQ is."

"You want me to talk to Finn when he comes in? I know what it does to your blood pressure when you do." Jon offered.

Donaldson was actually tempted to let his junior officer do it, but said instead, "Nah, that's what they pay me the big money for."

"Okay," O'Connell said agreeably, his blood pressure went up during those conversations too.  Then remembering something, "Did you see my report on the Wells' shooting Saturday?"

Donaldson nodded, "I doubt that it was coincidence that a FBI agent was taking Wells out of town, and then Finn buys a warehouse.  Assuming that the guy actually was a FBI agent."

"He was, I checked him out with a guy I know in the New Orleans' Office.  Patrick O'Day is Dan Murray's chief troubleshooter.  Murray is the director of the FBI.  According to my source though he is supposed to be up in San Fran helping them on a serial killer case."

"Why is that name familiar?" Donaldson asked.

"He was the guy who saved Presidents Ryan's daughter in that shootout at the daycare center."  O'Connell told him.  Chief Donaldson nodded as he remembered the incident, and said a silent prayer that nothing like that ever happened around here.

"Okay, we deal with Finn when he gets here.  Anything else I need to know about?"

"No Sir," O'Connell replied getting up.

"Okay, watch out for yourself tonight," Donaldson told his nightshift commander, then returning to his reports.

O'Connell left the chief's office thinking about the briefing he was about to give.  "Lt. O'Connell?" A female voice called from behind him.

O'Connell groaned. Turning he saw Rachel Fraser coming down the hallway toward him.  Rachel was average height, solid in build, with auburn hair worn just short of her collar, blue eyes, and a pretty face.  Today she was dressed in a pull over shirt and khaki pants with brown sensible shoes.  "What can I do for you Ms. Fraser?"

"I was wondering if I could have a few moments of your time?  I've been trying to discuss my theories with the other officers and they all point me at you."

"I'm sorry Ms. Fraser but I have to give the evening briefing and after that I have some things I need to check out.  Perhaps tomorrow, after the morning briefing?"

Rachel smiled, it didn't quite get to her eyes, "I'm told that you rarely come to morning briefings Lieutenant, but I can wait till after the briefing to talk to you."

O'Connell nodded for a moment then shook his head, "I'm sorry, but the things I have to check out can't wait.  Maybe sometime next week?"

"I won't be taking any of your time detective, I'll be riding along with you."

"You'll what?"

"According to regulations I'm allowed to ride along with any officer once a year to evaluate their psychological health.  I'm riding with you tonight."

O'Connell felt a migraine starting behind his eyes.  He quickly thought of anyway to get out of this, but couldn't see one.  He'd have to grab Mendi and have him do the checking he wanted to do tonight while he kept Rachel out of harms way.  "Very well Ms. Fraser, the briefing is this way."

"Rachel, please Lieutenant, if we are going to be riding together."

Afterward he wasn't really sure what he said at the briefing, he managed to corner Carlos Menendez, "Mendi," his XO, and gave him his instructions without Rachel overhearing the conversation.  He had worked out what he was going to do tonight while listening with half an ear as Rachel explained her theory to him.  If he didn't know what actually went on in and around Sunnydale he had to admit it made sense.  As he walked out of the garage door and headed for his car he stopped.  Leaning up against his car with her arms crossed was a small blond figure.  Rachel did not notice him stop so he had to catch up as she chatted animatedly as she walked toward the car.  O'Connell noticed that Rosenberg and Harris were across the street.  Harris was absently reaching into a bag of what looked like popcorn as he watched the police officer and his companion approaching The Slayer.  As they got up to the car Rachel was finishing up her explanation saying, "So you see Lieutenant if I can just figure out the proper mix of chemicals I can finally figure out what has been killing people here in Sunnydale."

O'Connell was about to say something when the blond next to the car turned to Rachel and said, "You want to know what's killing people in Sunnydale?  Vampires, some demons, but mostly vampires."

Andrea Price-O'Day's Office
Old Executive Office Building
Washington DC
28Oct2002
2035 hrs

Andrea stood aside and invited her guest into her office.  "Thank you for coming this time of night Dr. Golden.  I apologize for the late request but I wasn't completely sure if we would make it back to Washington today."

Dr. Clarice Golden entered the office and smiled at the Secret Service agent.  "That's okay Agent Price, I was seeing patients tonight so I doubt that I could have got here much earlier anyway," the psychologist explained.

Andrea offered the doc a seat and going over to a serving set she asked, "Coffee or tea?"

"Tea would be nice, if I have the coffee I'm afraid that I will not be sleeping well tonight."

Andrea poured some hot water into a mug and placed next to Dr. Golden with a saucer with a tea bag, creamer and sugar.  Dr. Golden fixed her tea as Andrea poured herself a cup of coffee and sat behind her desk.  While the doc finished fixing her tea, Andrea studied her.  Dan Murray called this woman his own personal Dr. Ruth.  Andrea had studied her file and was impressed with her credentials.

Once Clarice took her first sip she put the cup down and stared across the desk at Andrea.  Andrea began, "There is a young woman out in a California prison that I would like you to evaluate.  She has some unique qualities that I think would be very useful on my team."

Clarice was interested, usually a stint in prison disqualified you from the Secret Service, "She must be very special if you are interested in recruiting her, why don't up just make the pitch yourself?"

"I need to be sure that she still in prison because she thinks she has something to answer for, rather than she doesn't trust herself outside of prison," Andrea explained.

Dr. Golden was confused, "You make it sound like that if she decided to that she could walk right out of prison."

"They wouldn't even be able to slow her down," Andrea told the psychologist.

"I…see," Clarice said.

"I doubt that Doctor."

"Before we go any farther you need to be warned, the things that you will learn in this case will completely change your world view.  If you aren't interested I understand and we can end this now.  If you are interested then I have some tapes I want you to watch."

"When you put it that way, I'm dieing of curiosity, so by all means let's watch the tapes."  She told the Head of The Presidents Bodyguard.

"I hope you won't be sorry Doc," Andrea told her guest as she started the VCR in her office. 

Twenty minutes later Dr. Golden had given up on her tea and had a neat scotch in front of her.  "I'll have to remember that you don't use hyperbole Agent Price," she told her host.  Clarice Golden took a stiff drink then settled back into her chair.  She closed her eyes and said a brief prayer of thanks that she had never had a patient that had tried to convince her that vampires or demons were real.  Finally opening her eyes she looked across the desk at the Secret Service agent and said, "This Faith, she has the same abilities as this other girl?"

"As far as we know, yes, if that makes you uncomfortable Dr. Golden I understand. "

"No, No Agent Price, I would be happy to talk to this girl for you.  It might need a lighter approach than normal, but it should be okay.  I won't be able to start for three or four weeks though, I have some other cases that I need to handle before I can start this.  If you want I can give you the name of several psychologists that should be able to help you out."

"Several weeks should be acceptable, if there will be any further delay's let me know.  There is one other thing, considering the nature of the person The President wishes that you not identify who it is you're working for in your initial meetings with Faith.  We don't wish to get her expectations up and then if we find her not acceptable to dash them."

"I don't think I'll be able to get her to open up to me if I don't give her some reason to trust me.  I don't have to identify myself as an agent of the government; however, I think that if she directly asks me I have to tell her the truth.  I don't think I would have to let her know that I might be her ticket out of prison. I can tell her that I am doing a study, which would be true, as far as it goes, but it wouldn't raise any false hopes," Clarice explained.

Andrea nodded considering, "Okay Dr. Golden, I'll pass your concerns onto The President."

Clarice finished her scotch and gathering up the files she had been given deposited them in her brief case.  Andrea came around from her side of the desk and showed the psychologist out of her office.  There were two agents waiting in the outer office.  "Bill, Ted, could you make sure that Dr. Golden gets home okay?"

Clarice started to say that she was okay to drive but Andrea smiled at her, "That was a stiff scotch you had.  I wouldn't want you to get pulled over for Drunken driving, and these two need something to keep them out of trouble."

Clarice smiled and handed her keys over to the taller of the two agents.  As they were leaving Andrea said, "Thank you for your help with this Dr. Golden."

The psychologist turned and said, "Thank you for broadening my horizons Agent Price."